Be Fierce, Be Strong..

  “And one day she discovered that she was fierce and strong, and full of fire and that not even she could hold herself back because her passion burned brighter than her fears.” – Mark Anthony

What a statement!  How did I arrive fierce and strong?  Looking back over my life, I think the moment I became a mother if someone or something put my children at risk, I became a fighter...some might even say a "Super Hero." 

 I was a single mother at 27 with three little boys to provide for.  Life has knocked me down more than once, and I have experienced sadness and failure but one thing for sure, I always have gotten back up.  I was never afraid to try anything. That was most apparent when I learned to talk my way into jobs that I had little or no qualifications for.  My attitude was, "They can always say no but maybe they would say Yes instead."  Not to have tried in my way of thinking would have been to have failed.  Why not reach for the moon?  I needed those jobs to support my little family, and for the most part, I heard "You have the job."

Back in those times, it was extremely difficult to find a place to live when you were a single mother with three little boys and heaven forbid you own a dog.  It seemed that life was testing me at every corner of the road but that road became like a mountain with every step I took and the higher I climbed, the stronger my legs got.  I was learning to be tough and ambitious while still maintaining a gentle spirit.  I believe today that would be called a Steel Magnolia. Our first home was a government housing project.  For us, it was a palace, and I used such ingenuity to decorate our little home.  It was pretty cute if I do say so myself.  One thing that remained constant was despite no car, and three jobs, we always ate dinner together every night. Our meals were pretty simple but they were healthy and I learned to put together some pretty amazing recipes from whatever was in the refrigerator or cupboard.  Our favorite was the"Wednesday Night Special," everything that was left in the refrigerator.  I was beginning to instill strong family values into the lives of my little boys. 

We had very little but we had a lot of love.  God was beginning to become the heart of our home.  I knew He was watching over us, as He was teaching me to be secure in the woman he made me, and despite everything happening, I kept faithful and even with tears in my eyes, I always tried to keep a smile and assure all those around me that I was just fine.  I was becoming a strong, fearless, and independent woman who never backed down especially when it came to my little boys.  I've learned to forgive the people who hurt and insulted me.  I just hung on and kept believing in myself.  

Well here I am 50 years later, the salt in my wounds isn't burning anymore, it's not that I don't feel pain because I still do, but I have learned through the years that no one will take away or dim the light from within me.  I am Fierce, Strong, and Independent and have become the heroine in my own life instead of the victim.